As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our long-running forums. They came online in 2000 and brought together so many wonderful Disney fans. We had friendships form, careers launch, couples marry, children born ... all because of this amazing community.
Thank you to each of you who were a part of this community. You made it possible.
And a very special thank you to our Guides (moderators), past and present, who kept our forums a happy place to be. You are the glue that held everything together, and we are forever grateful to you. Thank you aliceinwdw, Caldercup, MrsM, WillCAD, Fortissimo, GingerJ, HiddenMickey, CRCrazy, Eeyoresmom, disneyknut, disneydani, Cam22, chezp, WDWfan, Luvsun, KMB733, rescuesk, OhToodles!, Colexis Mom, lfredsbo, HiddenMickey, DrDolphin, DopeyGirl, duck addict, Disneybine, PixieMichele, Sandra Bostwick, Eeyore Tattoo, DyanKJ130, Suzy Q'Disney, LilMarcieMouse, AllisonG, Belle*, Chrissi, Brant, DawnDenise, Crystalloubear, Disneymom9092, FanOfMickey, Goofy4Goofy, GoofyMom, Home4us123, iamgrumpy, ilovedisney247, Jennifer2003, Jenny Pooh, KrisLuvsDisney, Ladyt, Laughaholic88, LauraBelle Hime, Lilianna, LizardCop, Loobyoxlip, lukeandbrooksmom, marisag, michnash, MickeyMAC, OffKilter_Lynn, PamelaK, Poor_Eeyore, ripkensnana, RobDVC, SHEANA1226, Shell of the South, snoozin, Statelady01, Tara O'Hara, tigger22, Tink and Co., Tinkerbelz, WDWJAMBA, wdwlovers, Wendyismyname, whoSEZ, WildforWD, and WvuGrrrl. You made the magic.
We want to personally thank Sara Varney, who coordinated our community for many years (among so many other things she did for us), and Cheryl Pendry, our Message Board Manager who helped train our Guides, and Ginger Jabour, who helped us with the PassPorter-specific forums and Live! Guides. Thank you for your time, energy, and enthusiasm. You made it all happen.
There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
And we are no longer charging for the Live Guides. If you have a subscription, it's yours to keep for the lifetime of the Live Guides at no additional cost. The Live Guides will stay online, barring server issues and technical problems, for all of 2019.
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Thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing support over the years. Without you, there's no way us little guys could have made something like this happen and given the "big guys" a run for their money. PassPorter was consistently the #3 guidebook after the Unofficial and Official guides, which was really unheard of for such a small company to do. We ROCKED it thanks to you and your support and love!
If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.
So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
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Alright, I'm going to try and keep this thread updated while the race goes on.
The race starts 'officially' on Sunday, with the ceremonial start on Saturday.
The Iditarod will be taking the Northern Route this year, and has a record high of entrees, and it was a record high for rookies. A rookie is defined as a musher who has never crossed the finish line in Nome. That means you can be a rookie for quite a few races :laugh: though I would assume if you really were bad and never made it to Nome but entered every year for a few years they'd just let you be a half-vet or something. :laugh: But I don't make the rules. At last look, 96 mushers are slated to start the race (there were over 100, but many have had to "scratch" - which means withdraw)
Interesting observation - the 'accepted' length is 1,049miles... but the Iditarod site lists the milage this year as 'over 1,150mi'. 1,049 is the poetic idea 49 being significant because Alaska is the 49th state (And we're going to be celebrating... um... 50 years of statehood next year - though technically it was 58 that it was voted we'd go for statehood or whatever...)
The Iditarod restart is now in Willow - that is the new official restart. Wasilla was the home for as long as I can remember, but development of that area and the lack of snow in recent years has made that almost impossible. To be honest the snow isn't as hard to overcome as the many streets and driveways the teams would have to cross now. Times, they are a changin!
I will be volunteering again this year at the ceremonial start. Will hopefully have pictures to share...
Anyway here's a basic rundown of names to look out for, and why. Lance Mackey - He is the reigning Iditarod Champion, and his family is 'legendary' in the sport. He is the third in his family to win an Iditarod, his father and brother won before him. His win was one of those out of a Disney sports movie.
Martin Buser - one of those that dominated sled dog racing in the 90s, he's a 'transplant' Alaskan, and known for how well he treats his dogs. He is even kidded by others on the trail that he babies his team. When the huge fires in his hometown threatened his home, he didn't waste time protecting the structure... he went in and pulled out his 100+ dogs losing only two who got loose and ran into the woods. Two years ago he ran the race a month after cutting off the tips of several fingers. His son, Rohn, was last year's Jr Champ, and will be making his first appearance on the World level. Can you tell Martin's one of my favorites? Did I mention he's a 4 time Iditarod Champ?
Rick Swenson - He dominated in the 80s and 90s, and was Susan Butcher's main rival of sorts. He's one of them 'outsiders' and you either love him or... well... yeah. He's also rather... large... for a musher. He's taller and heavierset, but he's still cool. I guess. For an outsider anyway. This guy has won more Iditarods than anyone else with a total of 5 wins.
Jeff King - Buser's main rival in the 90s, he's also a 4 time champion. He's known for his antics on and off the trail, as well as his innovations. He helped design the sleds you see racing today. He put a seat on the back of the sled so that he could sit, one time he fell asleep and fell out of the sled (the dogs just stopped, which is lucky for him lol) he then designed seat belts that break away if needed. He tried to put hand warmers on the sled handle, but that caught fire. I guess he provides comic relief.
Rachel Scdoris - She is legally blind, and will be traveling with an Iditarod veteran as a trail guide. He will lead up ahead of her and radio back to let her know what to 'look out for'. She had to petition and testify to get to be in her first (IIRC that was in 05) and she's a very sweet girl, I met her over the summer. She took last year off, but she's back baby!
DeeDee Jonrowe - probably the 'hometown favorite' in a lot of ways. She's been plugging along through the years, and always is a contender - coming very close several times to winning. She's a breast cancer survivor!!! And you can't help but cheer her on. This could be her year!
Mitch Seavey - the 2001 Iditarod Champion, like Lance Mackey he has a long family history and investment within the Iditarod. His father, Dan, helped start up the very first Iditarod and ran several times (his best placement was 3rd). Dan is a hoot! Mitch fell in love with racing dogs growing up in Seward, AK... he has four sons, three of whom have run the Iditarod. In 2000, the Seavey's became the first three generation family to run together. Dan, Mitch, and Mitch's oldest son Danny all ran. Tyrell and Dallas have run in past Iditarods as well. Dallas is actually the youngest musher ever to finish the Iditarod he turned 18 one day before the race - which is the age you are allowed to enter the race, and as long as you're 18 before the race starts you're good to go. Oh yeah, Mitch/Danny/Dallas is my boss (depends on who's in charge on what day I guess lol).
Obviously there are many more mushers, for a complete list click here.
And don't forget to check out all the goodies on Iditarod.com !
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I did, I did, I did the Iditarod Trail!
He's also rather... large... for a musher. He's taller and heavierset, but he's still cool. I guess. For an outsider anyway. 
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